Amalgam preparing and carrying means for dental purposes



NOV. 8, 1960 CLAYTQN 2,958,947

AMALGAM PREPARING AND CARRYING MEANS FOR DENTAL PURPOSES Filed April 28,1958 United States Patent AMALGAM PREPARING AND CARRYING MEANS FORDENTAL PURPOSES Marcus Clayton, 2 Endersleigh Gardens, Watford Way,Hendon, London NW. 4, England Filed Apr. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 731,249

Claims priority, application Great Britain Feb. 14, 1958 7 Claims. (Cl.32-60) This invention relates to amalgam carriers for dental purposes.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an amalgam carrierfor dental purposes, comprising an elongated body member having anabutment part at the front end thereof and having an ejection head atthe rear end thereof, the ejection head including a tubular elementwhich has an open end directed toward the abutment part and which isadapted to hold a charge of dental amalgam, the tubular element beingprovided with a ram displaceable within the tubular element by meansoperated from the front end portion of the carrier, the arrangementbeing such that the head can be located adjacent a cavity at the rear ofa tooth and the ram operated from the front of the mouth so that, whenthe tubular element is charged with amalgam, the latter can be ejectedforwardly into the cavity of the tooth.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may becarried into effect, an embodiment thereof, given by way of example,will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view showing an amalgam carryinginstrument,

Figure 2 is a corresponding end view and Figure 3 is a perspective viewof an amalgam preparing device.

Referring to Figure 1, the amalgam-carrying instrument comprises anelongated body in the form of a tubular member indicated generally at 1and including a tube 2 internally screw-threaded at one end for thereception of a shouldered ferrule 3 which is secured as by solder to thefront end of a tubular extension 4, the ferrule being adapted whenscrewed into the tube 2, to hold the extension 4 removably in positionin coaxial relationship with the tube 2. The tubular extension 4, theinternal diameter of which is smaller than the internal diameter of thetube 2, terminates at its free end in an ejection head comprising alaterally projecting arm 5 which supports a tubular ejection element 6substantially parallel with the extension 4 and having an open end 7directed forwardly towards the tube 2. Within the tubular element 6there is slidable a ram 8 formed integrally with a cross-part 9 which isgenerally parallel to the lateral arm 5 and which extends from the rearend of a rod 10 slidable in the tubular extension 4. The forward endportion of the rod 10 projects into the tube 2 and is fixed to actuatingmeans comprising a plunger 11 having a free sliding fit Within the tube2. A sleeve 12 is slidably mounted on the tube 2, the sleeve having atits forward end a generally elliptical actuating plate 13 and beingeifectively connected to the internal plunger 11 by means of a retainingscrew 14 which passes diametrically through the plunger and isdisplaceable, during axial sliding movement of the sleeve 12 relativelyto the tube 2, along elongated holes or slots 18 at opposite sides ofthe tube 2, the head of the retaining screw engaging in a counter-sunkhole at one side of the sleeve 12, and the other end of the screwengaging in a screw-threaded hole at the opposite side of the sleeve. Atthe end of'the elongated member 1 remote from the ejection head, thereis provided an abutment part comprising a pressure-plate 16 similar inshape to the plate 13, the plate 16 being carried by a plug 15 which isscrewed into the front end of the tube 2. Between the plug 15 and theplunger 11 there is disposed in the tube 2, a compression spring 17adapted to maintain the plunger 11 and the rod 10 in a normalinoperative or retracted position in which the retaining screw 14engages the rear ends of the elongated holes 18 and in which the ram 8is located in a retracted position, indicated by chain-dotted lines, toprovide a space at the front end of the tubular element 6 for thereception of a charge of amalgam. The length of the holes or slots 18determines the limits of movement of the plunger and sleeve, fordisplacing the ram from the retracted position into a fully projectedforward position.

The arrangement is such that after charging the operating head withamalgam, the instrument can be inserted into the mouth of the patientand the tubular element 6 located in position in register with a cavityat the rear of a tooth. With the instrument gripped in the hand so thatthe pressure plate 16 is held against the palm of the hand, theactuating plate 13 can be gripped by the fingers and pulled forwardly soas to displace the rod 10 and the ram 8 against the action of the spring17, thereby to eject the amalgam from the tubular element 6 into thecavity. Thus, the instrument is particularly convenient for use in thefilling of cavities at the rear of molar teeth and avoids submitting thepatient to discomfort as by undue distortion of the lips and cheeks.Upon release of the plate 13, the spring 17 returns the plunger 11 andthe rod 10 into the retracted position so that the front end portion ofthe tubular element 6 can be re-charged with amalgam when the instrumentis next used for a tooth filling operation. Y

To facilitate the charging of the instrument with amalgam, there isprovided a device consisting of a mortar 19 formed with a rounded cavity20 in which the ingredients of the amalgam may be ground and mixed. Themortar device 19 is formed at diametrical opposite sides with recesses21 each providing a shelf onto which the prepared amalgam can bedisplaced from the cavity 20. The recesses open into the upper rim oredge of the mouth of the device 19 so that the tubular element 6 of thecarrier instrument can readily be positioned in a recess as illustrateddiagrammatically in Figure 3 for charging with amalgam. It will beappreciated that the receses 21 may be of an appropriate shape accordingto the form of the ejection head of the instrument. If desired, therecesses may be replaced by an annular groove or recess extendingcompletely around the rim of the mortar device and communicating withthe interior of the device.

I claim:

1. An amalgam carrier for dental purposes, comprising a tubular member,an abutment part at one end of said tubular member, an ejection head atthe end of said tubular member remote from said abutment part, saidejection head including an ejection tube disposed at one side of andfixedly secured to said tubular member, said ejection tube beingparallel to said tubular member and having an open front end directedtowards said abutment part, an ejection ram slidable in said ejectiontube, a rod movable axially within said tubular member and rigidlyconnected at one end to said ram, and actuating means operativelyconnected to the opposite end of said rod for moving said rod todisplace the ram forwardly for ejection of amalgam from the open end ofsaid ejection tube.

2. An amalgam carrier for dental purposes, comprising a tubular member,an abutment part at one end of said tubular member, an ejection head atthe end of said tubular member remote from said abutment part, saidejection head including an ejection tube disposed at one side of andgenerally parallel to said tubular member, said ejection tube having anopen front end directed toward said abutment part, and an ejection ramslidable in said ejection tube, said carrier comprising also a rodslidable axially in said tubular member and having at one end thereof arigid connection with said ejection ram, spring means acting on andurging said rod into a normal retracted position to hold the ram in aposition removed from the open front end of said ejection tube, andactuating means operatively connected to said rod at the end thereofremote from said ram, said actuating means being operable to pull therod against the action of said spring means and displace the ram toeject amalgam forwardly from the open end of the ejection tube.

3. An amalgam carrier for dental purposes, comprising a tubular member,an abutment part at one end of said tubular member, an ejection head atthe end of said tubular member remote from said abutment part, saidejection head including an ejection tube disposed at one side of andgenerally parallel to said tubular member, an arm projecting laterallyfrom said tubular member and carrying said ejection tube, the latterhaving an open front end remote from and directed toward said abutmentpart, an ejection ram slidable in said ejection tube, an operating rodslidable axially in said tubular memher, and having at one end thereof alaterally projecting portion substantially parallel to said arm andforming an integral rigid connection between said operating rod and saidram, spring means acting on and urging said rod into a normal retractedposition to hold the ram in a position removed from the open front endof said ejection tube, and actuating means operatively connected to saidrod at the end thereof remote from said laterally projecting portion,said actuating means being operable to pull the rod against the actionof said spring means and displace the ram to eject amalgam forwardlyfrom the open end of the ejection tube.

4. An amalgam carrier for dental purposes, comprising an elongated bodymember having an abutment part at one end thereof and an ejection headat the opposite end thereof, said ejection head including an ejectiontube fixedly mounted at one side of and parallel to said elongated bodymember, said ejection tube having an open front end directed towardssaid abutment part, an ejection ram slidable in said ejection tube, andmeans operable from said one end of said elongated body member foractuating said ram to eject amalgam from the open end of said ejectiontube, said actuating means comprising an element displaceable axially ofsaid elongated body member and having a portion which, at said oppositeend of said elongated body member, extends laterally and forms anintegral rigid connection between said ele ment and said ram.

5. An amalgam carrier, comprising a tubular member carrying, at itsfront end, an abutment part in the form of a pressure plate and, at itsrear end, an ejection head including an ejection t'u'be mounted at oneside of and parallel to said tubular member, said ejection tubehaving-an open end directed forwardly towards said pressure plate, anejection ram slidable in said ejection tube, and means operable from thefront end portion of said tubular member for actuating said ram to ejectamalgam forwardly from'the open end of said ejection tube, saidactuating means comprising a plunger slidable axially in said tubularmember, a rod fixed to and extending rearwardly from said plunger foraxial sliding movement in said tubular member, said rod having at itsrear end a laterally extending portion which forms an integral rigidconnection with said ram, a sleeve slidable along the exterio'r ofsaid-tubular member and operatively connected to said plunger, and afinger grip on said sleeve by which said sleeve together with theplunger and associated rod can be pulled axially forwardly from a normalretracted position toward said pressure plate during an ejectionoperation.

6. An amalgam carrier as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sleeve isoperatively connected to said plunger by means including a screwextending diametrically through said sleeve and plunger and havingportions slidable, during axial movement of said plunger, alongdiametrically opposite axial slots formed in said tubular member, therear er'id's of said slots forming abutments engaged by said screw inthe retracted position of said rod and ejection ram, and the front endsof said slots forming abutn'ients engageabl'e by said screw to limit theforward axial movement of said rod and ejection ram during an ejectionoperation.

7. An amalgam carrier as claimed in claim 5, including a compressionspring located in said tubular member between said plunger and thepressure plate at the front end of said tubular member, said springurging said plunger axially rear'wardly to return said rod and ejectionram into the normal retracted position thereof after each ejectionoperation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,469,004 Hol'tz Sept. 25, 192-3 2,077,423 Lebherz et al. Apr. 20, 19372,399,834 Seltzer May 7, 1946 2,603,871 Call July 22, 1952

